A Living Wall

[ChrisGreaves]

My first attempt at a living wall.
I would like to hear from anyone who has built such a thing before; practical hands-on experience.

The board is less than two square feet. I wanted to assemble a complete proof-of-concept before embarking on a nine-foot high six-feet wide version on one of my interior walls.

The plan is to have a supply of fresh greens throughout the winter.

Thanks
"Green Thumb" of Bonavista (even 'though the easel is not yet spray-painted green)

[RonH]

Very innovative
It will be interesting to see your final 9x6ft wall ... though I hope that such a size would not cause high humidity within your house

[GeoffW]

Do you get enough light inside during winter? Have you grown things inside before?

[ChrisGreaves]

It will be interesting to see your final 9x6ft wall ... though I hope that such a size would not cause high humidity within your house

Ron, thank you for this feedback.
If anything during the winter months my problem is low humidity. In 2019 I removed the oil stove, oil furnace, oil tank, and wood stove and went fully-electric with just two baseboard heaters. In 2020 I installed another four baseboard heaters so that all six rooms had heating. No more frozen and burst pipes!
The electric baseboard heaters boil water from any surface, and the moist air escapes from the house, so these heaters act as dehumidifiers.
I plan on just one wall as a means of supplying, augmenting rather, my need for fresh greens during the winter and psychologically to quell cabin-fever.
If I find moisture condensing on my windows I shall have to increase ventilation and pay a little more for electricity.

More details and images at http://www.chrisgreaves.com//TheLandfallGardenHouse/LivingWall/LivingWall.htm

Cheers
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

Do you get enough light inside during winter? Have you grown things inside before?

Hi Geoff. Compared to Perth and Adelaide, NO!
Compared to my last apartment in downtown Toronto, any place is an improvement.

I feel that will never get enough light inside during winter. Nor in summer. I have plans to replace the existing six windows with larger windows and add another eight windows for a total of sixteen windows. It’s not called “The Landfall Garden House” for nothing!

On the other hand many plants can survive as long as they get enough photons arriving indirectly. My plants in downtown Toronto died.

Right now my only south-facing window is in the bedroom, and it is a scant 44x30 inches; this will be increased to 72x48 or preferably 72x70.
I plan to have a large window on the south wall of my kitchen

More details and images at http://www.chrisgreaves.com//TheLandfallGardenHouse/LivingWall/LivingWall.htm

Cheers
Chris

[BobH]

You should investigate 'gro-lights' for raising plants in Winter. In ages past I suspended flourescent light fixtures from the ceiling to provide lights for growing. IIRC there are bulbs with just the right lumens for plants.

[ChrisGreaves]

You should investigate 'gro-lights' for raising plants in Winter. In ages past I suspended fluorescent light fixtures from the ceiling to provide lights for growing. IIRC there are bulbs with just the right lumens for plants.

Correct! I used those 1-metre fluo lights when I lived in a basement apartment in Markham for a year.
I have also used the smaller ones in various places.
I think one can buy LED gro-lights nowadays, but not in Bonavista ("Why buy lighting when you live so far to the east that the sun rises there each morning?")

FWIW I would like to avoid artificial lighting as much as possible, especially in my living area.

I might rip the shelves out of the porch closet and use some of my collection of refrigerator shelves to make Living Shelves once the greens have sprouted. I could tolerate gro-lights in the porch.

Thanks
Chris

[John Gray]

In The Living Wall of Bonavista are you attempting to emulate that wonder of the ancient world, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

[BobH]

Amazon knows about Bonavista, don't they?

[ChrisGreaves]

In The Living Wall of Bonavista are you attempting to emulate that wonder of the ancient world, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

No, although many offices in Downtown Toronto sport walls that seem about twenty feet high.

I had my first admiring visitor today. At least, I read the expression on his face as "admiring". It could have been something else.
I rattled off how I would replace my Île de France map with a winter-long supply of Dandelion, Lettuce, Swiss chard, Spinach, Peas, Radish, Broccoli, and Cabbage, but I might have lost my credibility at "Dandelion". I think his brother-in-law drives the 53' reefer truck of groceries from St John's three times a week ...
Cheers
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

Amazon knows about Bonavista, don't they?

Cheers
Chris

[GeoffW]

I would have thought that the Amazon was about as different from Bonavista as it was possible to get. All that tropical heat and humidity, the complete absence of snow and cold wind.

However, Chris is probably just a very short distance away from the eBay.

[BobH]

[ChrisGreaves]

... All that tropical heat and humidity, the complete absence of snow and cold wind.

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We seem to be coping with the Unbearable Heat of Summer right now, 12c, and so far today there has been no snow.
The wind gusts are only 60-75Km/h, however, they ARE coming from the NNW.
I will be glad once summer is over and I can turn the heaters back on ...
(signed) "miserable" of Bonavista
P.S. On thr bright side this summer seems to have persuaded the bees to holiday elsewhere, so no zucchini fruits have formed, although I am too scared to get close and make a proper inspection.
C